Best backswing for SW grip

galatti

Rookie
Hi,

I'm looking for the best backswing for SW grip. I've seem dozen of pics and vids, but they are very different from each other. So, what is the
best backswing for SW grip IYO? Pics will be very appreciated ;)
 

paulfreda

Hall of Fame
My favorite and most reliable is to open the faceand have the frame almost sit on my back shoulder with body square to net. Then drop it to the hitting zone and square up as you come thru.
The reason this is a safe and reliable position is that the SW closes the face quite a bit and pre pronating [se Kuerten, Almagro, Haas or Gaudio] will guarantee you will miss long [nearly perfect depth shot] and not net the ball.
 

pushing_wins

Hall of Fame
My favorite and most reliable is to open the faceand have the frame almost sit on my back shoulder with body square to net. Then drop it to the hitting zone and square up as you come thru.
The reason this is a safe and reliable position is that the SW closes the face quite a bit and pre pronating [se Kuerten, Almagro, Haas or Gaudio] will guarantee you will miss long [nearly perfect depth shot] and not net the ball.

what do u mean sit on the back shoulder?
 

galatti

Rookie
My favorite and most reliable is to open the faceand have the frame almost sit on my back shoulder with body square to net. Then drop it to the hitting zone and square up as you come thru.
The reason this is a safe and reliable position is that the SW closes the face quite a bit and pre pronating [se Kuerten, Almagro, Haas or Gaudio] will guarantee you will miss long [nearly perfect depth shot] and not net the ball.

Great. I like that too. I´ll try to practice since currently my backswing is very low. BTW, by square, you mean perpendicular, right: :)

tks!
 

wihamilton

Hall of Fame
What your backswing looks like really doesn't matter. As long as your racket down and your wrist laid back as you swing forward you will be fine.
 

kimizz

Rookie
I like the backswing of hewitt,nalbandian and tursunov to name a few. I think they all have a similar backswing in many ways. Here you can look how Hewitt does it: http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/pdmediabooks/players.asp?section=players&page=1

Just click with the mouse on the LLeyton pic and then choose forehand video.

In this kind of backswing you can REALLY drive to the ball and you are guaranteed a powerful yet reliable shot. I think there is a lot of pros doing it this way. Its also similar to Agassis FH, but Andre doesnt close the racquet face...meaning that during the backswing Agassis racquet face is facing the side fence. If you look at Hewitt you can see that just before the forward swing the racquet is facing the back fence. Id like to know if there is any advantage in doing it like Agassi(or Hewitt).
 
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I use a SW grip too. What I'm trying to understand is how much pronation and all that there is when taking the racquet back. My forehand used to feel very natural but now something feels very awkward in my swing. I feel it when the racquet goes all the way back and begins to move forward. It feels like I have fight my own body to line up the racquet face during the stroke and muscle the ball at contact. It isn't automatic anymore. What's going on?
 
Yep, point racket face towards back fence in backswing. It's helped my forehand, not sure why. Plenty of pros doing it (to varying degrees), most obvious examples are Djokovic, Roddick, PH Mathieu, Ancic, Gonzo, Safin, Federer.

johnny, what's up with that? I have noticed that before. I started wanting to change my FH backswing (to pronate more during BS) recently but haven't tried it on the court yet. Whatever I'm doing now feels weird and not as predicatable or fluid as I'd like. See my post above.
 

johnny ballgame

Professional
johnny, what's up with that? I have noticed that before. I started wanting to change my FH backswing (to pronate more during BS) recently but haven't tried it on the court yet. Whatever I'm doing now feels weird and not as predicatable or fluid as I'd like.

I changed mine maybe a year ago - an instructor recommended the takeback with racquet face to back fence. For some reason it helped me. I think perhaps it helps to facilitate a good shoulder turn and a better whip motion on the forward swing.

Beyond setting up with good footwork, I try to focus on these steps:

1. Good shoulder turn up high with racket face to back fence;
2. Drop racquet lower just before forward swing;
3. Initiate forward swing with buttcap forward and whip through the ball;
4. Follow through
 
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I tried pronating on the backswing last night. It felt more fluid to me than what I usually do, which is keep the face closer to the same angle it will be on contact. Topspin seemed easier and it felt like my wrist could be more active (when I wanted). It also feels like my front shoulder automatically lifts (and the rear drops) a bit? I like it.
 
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